Humbug
by Shellfish1001
Summary: Squall bans Christmas in garden and confiscates all the Christmas decorations from the rest if the gang. Yaoi. IxSq, SxZ From Squall's pov


Bah humbug.

Notes: Please tell me if you think the ending was rushed, I really wanted to post this before Christmas and I finished it at midnight on Christmas eve, although most of my readers I figured would be American so that gives me another 5 hours… technically. Oh and it's from Squall's pov btw.

I was seriously thinking of banning Christmas in garden. I mean I was the commander if I want it banned then it gets banned right?

Wrong.

Not until Selphie and everyone has had a good whine about it, making me feel like a complete bastard and they usually talk me out of it.

But I had managed a compromise, no Christmas at garden so everyone gets to go home to their families for a whole two weeks, no one argued with that… apart from those that had nowhere to go.

Rinoa had gone home to Deling to be with her father ignoring Selphie's protests about abandoning us all.

I hoped Selphie would go with her but no such luck so it was just me, her, Irvine, Zell, Quistis and Seifer left at garden. The latter having no objection to not having Christmas until Irvine started filling his head with romantic Christmas nonsense and all the ideal ways to places to be with Zell. Those two blondes were the most useless pair ever. Seifer liked Zell, a blind chocobo could see that. Zell liked Seifer, a herd of blind chocobos could see that. Unfortunately they were both very stupid. Sometimes, and this was one of those times, I felt like yelling it right in front of them so they would finally get the message through to them but as Quistis would forever point out it was up them to figure things out between themselves.

"You know this ban on Christmas?" Zell started.

"Y-e-s?" I dragged the word out, knowing where this was going.

"That- by the way I'm 100 behind you on…."

"Yes?"

"Do you think it-err- would -umm- Well- that it would- err-be okay if I-err-umm-"

"Just spit it out Zell."

"-Wore this?" He held up a headband with mistletoe hanging from a spring on top to dangle over the wearer's head.

"Where did you get that?" As if I didn't know, something that tacky could only be the work of our resident cowboy.

"Irvine gave it to me for -umm- something I'm -err- working on."

"Something or someone?" I asked.

He blushed. "Well-err-"

"For god's sake Zell why don't you just kiss him and be done with it!"

He glanced nervously around the cafeteria in case someone heard him, which as there was only him, Quistis and myself in there was unlikely.

"He might reject me."

I scoffed. "Please."

Quistis was glaring at me from the counter now, not wanting me to say to much.

"Zell it's obvious that-"

Her glare hardened.

"That-"

She made the move to come over to shut me up.

"That- You need to figure things out by yourself." I finished, seeing Quistis settle at the counter again.

I was such a coward, evil sorceresses were no problem but I was no match for Quistis when she was mad.

"Yeah I guess you're right." Zell slumped in his chair. "So can I?" He held up the headband.

"No!" I grabbed it off him ignoring the saddened look, I wasn't falling for that again.

"That's a stupid idea, it'll never work."

"Irvine said it worked for him."

I blushed and bit my lip. "That was a one off a-and I'd had a lot to drink a-and it's just different okay!"

My attention was caught by what looked like a walking Christmas tree with a pair of arms wrapped around it.

"Selphie?"

A head peered around the tree. "Squall! I didn't see you there!"

"Selphie where are you going with that tree?"

She quickly stood in front of it, unfortunately the tree was 6ft and she was only 5ft 1".

"What tree?" She asked innocently.

"The Christmas tree that you're standing in front of."

She looked back as if she had no idea what I was talking about.

"Oh this?"

I nodded.

She laughed nervously. "This isn't a Christmas tree!" She continued to laugh.

"What is it then?"

"This is-err- a rare -umm- Trabian tree."

"What's it doing here?"

"I was thinking about planting it in the quad to -err- brighten the place up a bit."

"Selphie."

"Yes?"

"That's a Christmas tree."

"No it-"

"Yes it is."

She dropped the act. "Oh Squall it's Christmas eve and you'd never know it walking around here, I was thinking that a nice tree in the hallways or the library would-"

"No!"

"But Squall-"

"No!"

She glared. "You're mean!" She hissed, picking up her tree and shuffling off with it.

"Take it to my office please…. Along with that mistletoe I've seen you with."

She glared at me but didn't comment.

I turned back to Zell. "Anyway as I was say-" I glanced up in time to see Irvine stroll in with a Santa hat on.

"Ho ho ho." He greeted.

"Hey Irvine nice hat."

"Thanks Zell."

The cowboy wrapped an arm around me as he pulled up a chair. "How's my favourite guy?"

"I'd be better if you took that thing off."

He touched the hat. "This?" He shrugged and took it off.

"Thank y-"

It was plopped onto my head instead.

I frowned.

Zell chuckled. "Hey Squall it suits you."

Irvine walked around the table to admire his handiwork. "Yeah it does you look beautiful… more so than usual." He winked at me.

I rolled my eyes, running a hand up to push the hat from my head.

"This is getting confiscated." I announced.

Along with all the other things I had taken from Selphie, the mistletoe, the tree, tinsel and a furry Santa thong that I took from Seifer, the mere thought of him wearing made my brain hurt. I shuddered slightly.

Irvine pouted at me causing me to look away I would now be outdone by a pout even if it was on the sexy face of playful affectionate Irvine. We were just friends of course I wasn't about to get involved with a colleague… not after the disaster that was me and Rinoa. Bad break up but we're good now, sort of. We were civil, Selphie likes her they're still mates, which sometimes got in the way of us getting together as a group. Irvine called Selphie his favourite girl and I was the favourite guy. We went through this whole childish thing, let's see who has the most friends if we force them to choose between us, which was not my idea.

Selphie sided with Rinoa I didn't expect her not to but I had assumed that Irvine would go where Selphie would go but he didn't leave my side, in fact he started to be this sort of fixture in my dorm room, I almost had to throw him out when I wanted to go to bed. Always ready with the insults to hurl at Rinoa on my behalf as I wasn't very good at that… yet. I'm a fast learner. Seifer sided with me too, which at first I was surprised at but then he dated her too so he knew how horrible she was to go out with. And when Seifer went so did Zell. Quistis sided with me, I didn't expect her not to, we had history and I knew she wasn't exactly Rinoa's number one fan.

The whole contest was soon dropped when it was clear she wasn't going to win and then of course it was all hugs and kisses and let's be friends again. Most of my supporters had no problem with that apart from Irvine. The cowboy had said one good thing about the ban on Christmas was that Rinoa had gone, Selphie had elbowed him in the ribs for that comment. I had quietly agreed but I didn't say anything.

Quistis had been saying…. Things. Like Irvine having more than just friendship in mind. But we're friends and that's it apart from last Christmas there was a mistletoe incident and on my birthday when I'd had a little too much to drink and the cowboy had helped me back to my room. I don't remember too much but I'm told there was a bit of kissing and quick grope and he promised me he behaved himself… I wasn't sure if I completely believed that.

Scout's honour he said, when had he ever been a scout? I can just imagine the type of badges he got.

"Don't look at me like that." I waved the hat. "This is going to my office right now."

He frowned. "Well I'll walk with you." He slung an arm around my shoulders as I walked past him.

"What about me and my problem?" Zell said.

"Come tonight Zell."

"Tonight? What's tonight?" I asked suspiciously.

"Party in my dorm." Irvine explained.

"And I'm not invited?" I asked.

He smiled. "Well you banned Christmas I didn't think you wanted to go to a Christmas party."

I frowned. "Oh yeah." I guess that made sense but I didn't like to think that I was being left out.

"Still makes me feel a little left out." I confessed.

He tightened his arm around me. "Aww babe." He chuckled. "I can bring you some cake in the middle if you like or a glass or two of champagne."

I flushed slightly under all the attention. "No, that's okay."

"Sure?" He nuzzled my hair slightly with his nose, he does that.

"Well…." I said. "Unless…. you really want to."

He grinned. "Great, although Selphie won't be happy that I'm talking to the "meany" who stole her tree." We walked down the hall.

"That was only because she threatened to put it in the hallway, I didn't know it was for a party."

"So you'll give it back?"

I frowned. "I don't know about that." I opened the doors of the lift and Irvine followed me in, standing close to me again with an arm this time around my waist.

"You know Selphie, she'll come up with something. Maybe it's better you give back the tree before she thinks of something… worse." He chuckled.

I grimaced, pressing the button for my office.

Once the doors had closed he put one hand behind his back. "While we're alone like this…." He brought his hand back with a piece of mistletoe in it.

I instantly started to shake my head as he advanced on me. "Oh no Irvine, we agreed remember that last time was a mistake."

"Just one little kiss Squall…." He smirked, backing me into a corner.

The mistletoe hovered over my head menacingly and he trapped me against the wall.

"Just one… little…" He closed the gap, a hand on the side of my face as he kissed me on the lips a long, lingering but innocent kiss.

He pulled back by an inch to grin at me. "See? Wasn't so bad now was it?"

I frowned and took hold of the mistletoe. "Bad cowboy." I scolded, playfully.

He moved to let me out of the corner but I have a hold on his coat, he frowned in confusion looking up to see that I now held the mistletoe up over our heads. He grinned as I pulled him back in for a proper kiss, exploring his mouth, reminding myself what he tasted like. It had been a while, I realized I had missed this.

The lift binged and pulled back, going into commander mode I took the mistletoe. "This is being confiscated."

He pouted. "Oh Squall, don't be so…. Mean." He smiled at me.

"You just sounded like Rinoa."

It was his turn to grimace.

I smiled, walking past him out of the lift and to the doors of my office. I opened them and stopped in horror at what was going on inside.

"What the hell-!"

Selphie stood decorating a tree in the corner of the room, it had lights and tinsel on it and she was adding baubles.

I stepped into the room, spotting Seifer sticking tinsel to the walls as Zell held the ladder. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling all across the roof so that wherever you walked it was hanging inches over your head.

Quistis was blowing up balloons and tying them in bunches.

"Selphie! What the hell is going on!"

She gave me an innocent look. "We are just doing what you said."

"When did I say set up Christmas decorations in my office!"

"You said take the Christmas tree to my office."

Quistis spoke up. "And the box of decorations that I had in the library."

"And the mistletoe."

"And the tinsel."

"And the thong." Seifer smirked. "-That I am wearing right now and if you're lucky I'll show you later." Selphie chuckled.

"No thanks." I said with a grimace. "Zell you go ahead though."

The little blonde blushed, Irvine and Quistis just shook their heads with a smile.

Seifer grinned at Zell. "Yeah Chickie I'll model it for you."

"Shut up asshole and try not to fall off the ladder." He shook it a little.

"Shit Chickie!" Seifer clung to the ladder. "If I fall off I'll fall on you!"

"This was not what I-" I looked around at the mistletoe and decorations. "I thought you were having a party in Irvine's dorm."

"We would but all the things are here, you confiscated it all so we thought if the things are here and you're here all we have to bring are ourselves and-" She delved into a box and pulled out a couple of bottles of champagne. Quistis came up with the glasses.

She handed me a glass and reluctantly I took it, looking round the room. As they went to all the effect what the hell. I took the glass causing everyone around me to smile and grab their own glasses. Seifer got to the floor safely to grab hold of Zell causing him to squeak unmanly.

Irvine's arm found its way round my waist again.

Zell turned to push Seifer off him and they both froze realizing that a sprig of mistletoe was positioned over Zell's head and almost brushing Seifer's.

They both sort of edged around each other, walking in a little circle. It was pathetic really.

"Oh for god's sake! Just kiss and be done with it!"

I almost put my hand to my mouth to stop the flow of words when I realized I wasn't the one that blurted it out, Selphie had beat me to it.

"Selphie!" Quistis scolded.

I frowned disapprovingly at her, hiding the fact that I would have said it if she hadn't.

We watched they get closer and closer, arms by their sides. Their lips just about touched and Selphie cheered.

"Finally!"

I think she expected them to kiss briefly and that would be it. Instead their lips locked and Zell's arms went around Seifer's neck, fingers in his hair. The tall blonde's arms went around Zell's waist. The little blonde gave a low moan.

Quistis took a sip of her drink looking I bit uncomfortable, Selphie looked like she was trying not to laugh and Irvine buried his face in my shoulder to stop laughing.

Finally they parted and Seifer looked up, still holding Zell close to him, he picked up his glass and downed it in one go then picked up Zell's glass an handed it to him.

"Finish it quickly."

I rolled my eyes, seeing where this was going the party was going to get even smaller.

"It was a good party, thanks, we had fun." The blonde said as he practically shoved the shorter man out the door.

"Do you really have that Christmas thong?" We heard Zell asked before they exited my office.

"Well." Selphie rubbed her hands together. "Let's party!"

"What, the four of us?" I asked.

She shrugged. "More champagne for us."

Irvine took a bottle and guided me to sofa with pair of glasses. "How long till we can go?" I asked.

"We could go to a party to Balamb, Zell was invited to three." Selphie suggested.

"Zell's not here remember?"

"No but I was with him at the time and the guy said I could go too."

We all looked at each other and shrugged. "Sounds like a plan." Irvine said. "But I get a dance." He nudged me playfully.

I half smiled. "I'll think about it."

"Get him drunk first. That worked last year." Selphie said.

I frowned. "Let's go, before I change my mind." I put down the glass.

"Come on scrooge." Irvine said.

Quistis picked up one bottle and Selphie picked up the other as we deserted the empty garden and headed into Balamb.

I endured the jokes on the way there things like: Scrooge was going to a party etc etc and just got into the spirit of things and a little help from my friend alcohol.

End


End file.
